11 Year Old Cat Losing Weight

I have a 11 year old tabby cat (tuxedo black and white) that now lives with my parents. For the past few months he has been barely eating. He's lost a lot of weight that when you pet him he is mostly bones. We have tried different foods, to not much avail. He is a very happy cat, I went to see him, and his mood or behavior isn't any different and there has been no changes in his life. I did get the suggestion to try feeding him tuna to fatten him up, and it seems to be working for now. He has always been a picky cat - he prefers filtered water and such.

If anyone has any other suggestions or advice, I'd love to hear it. Thanks! I don't have a pic of him to show but I can provide one of my OTHER cat dressed up like Ray Charles. :)

You should take him to the vet. It could be diabetes or hyperthyroid. My cat was diagnosed with hyperthyroid over a year ago, after losing a lot of weight. She's on a daily medicine that helps her keep her weight. Otherwise, I would have lost her.

You should take him to the vet. It could be diabetes or hyperthyroid. My cat was diagnosed with hyperthyroid over a year ago, after losing a lot of weight. She's on a daily medicine that helps her keep her weight. Otherwise, I would have lost her.

It could also be a dental problem...my older cat stopped eating his dry food and was losing weight, so I had him "vet-checked" and we found out that he had an abscessed tooth that was causing him pain. They gave him a shot of anti-biotics and pain killer. I can't afford to have his tooth pulled right now, as I am unemployed, so the vet told me to feed him SENIORS canned food.....it is softer than regular canned food and has smaller chunks, so there is not much chewing...he loves it and has started to regain his weight....I feed him Friskies Senior....it's better for them than straight tuna, which doesn't have all the necessary vitamins and minerals....good luck with your poor kitty...

At about age 13 my cat started losing weight. The vet examined his teeth and gums and tested him for hyperthyroid and diabetes. Everything came back negative. She said some cats just don't taste food as well when they get older, or they just lose their appetites. He's 15 now, skinny as a rail and acts like a little old geezer, but he seems happy enough and doesn't appear to be in discomfort. I do my best to offer him tasty food. Any elderly cat should have a vet check once in a while, though.

Tooth problems are a very huge possiblity. I had a cat who had to have all his back teeth removed because they had deteriorated so badly. But it could also be cancer or liver disease. The best thing to do for your baby is take him to a vet for a complete check-up.

Seriously get to a vet. May be kidney or liver failure. I've been taking care of Sami for 10 years now for kidney failure. She is now 16. She went from 25 lbs to about 15. You need to get blood work as soon as possible. They can put your cat on a food diet (science diet kd) but eventually it will be iv treatments if I am right, which I truly hope I'm not. Best of luck to your loved baby.

Please get him to a vet right away.I had this problem with both my dog Muffin and my cat Mammakitty. In both cases it was kidney failure with my cat they told me one of her kidneys was so shriveled up they couldn't find it she was an outside cat and I didn't know it till it was to late.With Muffin I took her to a quack and by the time I got her to a decent vet it was to late to save her although they tried. If they can't save him it's best to have him put to sleep so he doesn't suffer.

Our cat, who is 10, also was losing weight and after we took her to the vet found out she had hyperthyroidism. She is on medication and has gained her weight back and is doing well. The vet does a blood test to see if that is the problem.

BINGO! Go to the vet. Do not pass GO. Do not collect $200. As you can see by what has been posted so far, this could be any numerous problems, (with my clutter of cats, I've dealt with hyperthyroidism, renal and liver failure throughout the years) all of which could be disastrous if left untreated. One other thing though that I did not see mentioned is, be careful of giving too much tuna fish in the diet. First, there are multiple containments that can be a problem in a small body such as a cat. The biggest reason is that cats need an amino acid in their diet called Taurines. They cannot make this themselves and can develop other serious health problems if it is inadequate in their diet. Check out this website and it will give you an indepth discussion about giving tuna fish to your cat.

I have an elderly cat that was also losing weight. Vet found mass in stomach, suspects cancer. Mass appears to be attached to other organs. Please get your cat checked. He may be sicker than you think. Please don't take chances with his life. We have made changes in his lifestyle and placed him on vitamins and pain meds. I also started giving him Omega-3. I read that it would slow down tumor growth in cats. My church is also helping me to pray for him. As of now, he is eating a little better, and has not had any pain meds in 2 days. I contribute his improvement to prayer.